Internet full of myths and misinformation

Published 1:44 pm, Friday, September 7, 2012

The Internet has become known as the “information highway” due to the amount of information and research material that is available at the touch of the keyboard of your computer.

Sadly though, a lot of misinformation makes its way onto the highway.

I do a lot of research on various subjects and get a lot of e mail regarding various subjects, many pertaining to our government.

I have found that when I am researching to look to several different sources and compare information before accepting anything as a fact. One of the best sites for finding truth is Snopes.

Snopes, which is officially the Urban Legends Reference Pages, is a website that is run by Barbara and David Mikkelson from California. It is a great source for tracing information to determine fact from fiction.

Through the years I have heard all kinds of tales about this and that — what was bad and what was good for our health. A lot of this information is being proven to have been misinformation — a lot due to lack of study and research or in some cases, no study and research at all.

So after lengthy research I began listing some of those items where truth is finally coming to light.

First of all, regarding certain foods being either good or bad, remember what a very wise man said one time — “all things in moderation.” This phrase covers a large part of our lives, whether it be food, exercise, sleep, drink, and so on.

That word “moderation” is the main reason of many health problems and “fat Americans.”

Here are a few of the many myths regarding food and other products.

MYTH: FRESH FOOD IS BETTER THAN FROZEN — Fresh food in our grocery stores may have been picked weeks or even months before reaching the store. Cold storage using various gases prolong the shelf life of fresh fruit and vegetables. But they lose many nutrients over the time of storage.

However, the frozen vegetables and fruits are frozen within hours of harvesting, thus locking in the nutrients, waiting for defrosting.

MYTH: EXPIRATION DATES ON MEDICINE INDICATE DATES MEDICINE TO BE DESTROYED — Medicine expiration date on a drug is a date that the manufacturer guarantees the full potency and safety of the drug.

Most medicines retain their potency well beyond the expiration date and outdated medicines are not usually harmful.

A John Hopkins medical report says “if medicines have been stored under good conditions, they should retain all or much of their potency for at least one to two years following the expiration date.”

The report continues, “should the pills become discolored, turned powdery, or smell strong; any liquids that appear cloudy or filmy; or any tubes of cream that are hardened or cracked,” these should be discarded.

MYTH: SUGAR MAKES KIDS HYPERACTIVE — I guess everyone at some time or other has heard that sugar makes kids hyperactive. A medical report by pediatricians at the Riley Hospital for Children said that in a study of 12 randomized, controlled trials, scientists have examined how children react to diets containing different levels of sugar. None of the studies indicated any differences in behavior between children who had sugar and those that did not.

MYTH: MARGARINE BETTER THAN BUTTER — For years, we have been warned that butter was a bad thing for our health and that margarine was better. The fact is margarine and other hydrogenated or processed polyunsaturated oils are more detrimental to health than is any saturated fat.

Butter is a healthy food in that it. Is easily absorbable form of Vitamin A, necessary for thyroid and adrenal health. It contains anti-oxidants that protect against free radical damage and lecithin, which is essential to cholesterol metabolism.

There are many other myths that can be explored on Internet. Happy reading and researching.